Program Visualization: Flowchart Layout Algorithms?

Lots of times asking LTU is more effective than searching the ACM database (ie you guys are awesome!): Does anyone know of papers about flowchart layout algorithms? This could also be called 'automatic flowchart generation'. I've reviewed several commercial packages and it seems there are two approaches:


1) generate the flowchart as a directed graph and then feed it to graphviz dot to create a hierarchical layout with flowchart symbols


2) use a proper (proprietary?) algorithm to generate an aesthetically pleasing (dot fails in this regard) flowchart.


Searching the ACM database for 'flowchart layout' is problematic because it returns a LOT of results. Is anyone familiar with this type of algorithm?

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I finished searching the ACM

I finished searching the ACM and IEEE and didn't find anything so I created my own algorithm. After a couple of false starts, what I came up with seems pretty svelt if I do say so myself. However, the fact no one has ever published about this makes me think no one cares, or it's just not a hard problem?

Did you ever publish?

Hi Mark,

I know the thread is pretty old but I was searching around and came to a similar dead end. Did you end up publishing your algorithms? If not could you share?

No and depends

Contact me off list if you'd like to discuss further (removed at gmail).

You might enjoy

You might enjoy flare/prefuse, though I don't know if they have flow chart specific visualizations.

check out AT&T GraphViz dot

Sounds like maybe you're satisfied with your own algorithm, but maybe you would still be interested in AT&T GraphViz group's 'dot' program. It is a general directed graph layout program, not specific to flowcharts. Their documentation contains links to reserach on graph layout algorithms.